What a great start to our vocational tour! Today Kate, Mark and Brendan were treated to a fantastic day out with enthusiastic tour leaders Sarah, Natasha and Bettina from the Battle River Watershed Action Group. Our first stop was with John doll From Alberta Parks at Miquelon Lake where john gave us a brilliant overview of Alberta's provincial reserve system and how it is managed. We also had a great chat about the issues facing land managers in alberta and back home in australia. We also had an opportunity to meet with a couple of masters students and learn about their research project on beaver behaviour and their impacts on invertebrates. And yes we saw our first beaver and learnt that they are just never happy with the way things are and just have to set about changing everything, much to the disgust of land managers. We also learnt about wood frogs and their rather randy mating habits and also their interactions with beavers (ecological interactions in case you were thinking otherwise!).
Beaver and Frog Antics at Miquelon Lake
Next we were off on one of those lovely drives through the Albertan countryside to visit the Ribstones site which is a culturally significant site to the local indigenous people. This site contained handcarved stones which were part of a hunting ceremonial site. Kate even told a few good australian Aboriginal stories. Well done Kate.
Ribstones Cultural Site
Don & Marie Ruzicka's organic farm (sunrise farm) was our next stop. I personally got a lot of out this visit and was inspired by Don's enthusiasm and knowledge of organic farming and sustainable farming practices. We all had a healthy discussion with Don about land management and the benefits of growing our own food locally and sustainably and forming food cooporatives within our communities. I enjoyed Don's property so much I even offered to return next summer and work for him as a farm hand!!
Don Ruzicka's farm revegetation projects
Don Ruzicka's Log Cabin which he has beautifully handcrafted from local timbers
Kate and Brendan engaged in coversation with the group about land managment issues
Big thanks to our tour leaders and David Taylor who organised our day. It could not have been better.
We then rushed home to meet with the camrose daybreak rotary club and the rotary club of camrose where we were treated to some beautiful fresh local foods and a night filled provided by the rotarians from both clubs. We also enjoyed a great night of fellowship and good laughs. What a lovely bunch of people who are so warm, generous and welcoming, Thanks folks. We made our first team presentation also which I think went pretty well. As Kylie said tonight we have had such a great time and learnt so much already we could go home now and feel satisfied, not that any of us would even contemplate that thought. I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us.
Posted by Mark Drury 19/5/11
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